Tuesday, January 6, 2009

You had me at 'ahoy.'

Some of you know that I started my career with Flux as the senior publicist. In that capacity, I had the good fortune to work one-on-one with many of the authors (and in my new position, I'm enjoying the chance to get to know the other authors not in my charge) and it often fell to me to discuss with them some of the quirkier of aspects of publishing. Like having a final copy of a book in your hand when it first gets delivered from the printer is very different from the book actually appearing on a bookshelf. These things take time. And after a bit of initial consternation, everyone comes to understand this.

My Esteemed Predecessor liked to blog about new books when final copies arrived in house. He'd share his delight at seeing the book come to light and just generally enthuse about how excited he was that soon the world would know the wonderful secret he'd been sitting on for months.

This sort of blog post usually started this chain reaction:

Esteemed Predecessor (on blog): TITLE X is in the house! Woo hoo!

Author of TITLE X to Me (the author's publicist): You have my books in? Why aren't they in the stores? Why aren't they available? Oh sweet Gutenberg, my life is over!!!!*

Me to Esteemed Predecessor: I hate you.

And then me and Author of TITLE X would talk about the aforementioned difference between having a book in house and having a book in store and everything would be cool.

Now that I've shifted sides, I completely understand his often unbridled giddiness at seeing a project come to fruition. Case in point: I'm holding in my hands a brand-spanking new copy of THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, the debut YA novel of A. S. King. It's pretty. I didn't acquire this book. I had no editorial input. But I read it and fell instantly in love with it.

The book has generated a bit of internet buzz for its cover and some of the early reviews have been positively glowing. I can guarantee that you haven't read anything quite like this book and if you think you've got it pegged based solely on the premise (17th century pirate is killed and reincarnated as 100 dogs before finally being reincarnated again into a 20th century teen with all her memories intact), you're very, very mistaken.

This beautiful book (no, really, how can you not love the cover?) also features a fantastic interview with the author, conducted by Leila Roy, the blogoddess over at BOOKSHELVES OF DOOM. Everyone who has read this book can't help but talk about it. So pardon me while I summon the spirit of my Esteemed Predecessor and crow about the impending arrival (in a bookstore near you) of DUST OF 100 DOGS. You'll find it in about a month. Pick it up and see what all the talk is about.

*= This is, of course, an gross exaggeration of the actual reaction. But I think the spirit is there.

9 comments:

Author to new editor: Okay - but pleasesenditotmenowpleasepleaseplease?

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